When Ian Baird took up Paul Doswell’s offer to become head coach at Sutton United, there were many who said it would never work.

Indeed, not many years ago it was likely that neither of the two protagonists would ever want to work together anyway.

However, just 18 months after pairing up in 2014, Doswell and Baird, and not forgetting Micky Stephens, have silenced the nay-sayers by guiding Sutton United to the National Premier.

The pair are old friends, but there was a time when it was far from the case.

Doswell said: “We never spoke for two years. When he was at Eastleigh and I was at Sutton, someone had said something to him about something I said, which was not true.

“They said I criticised his style at Eastleigh and in particular that he had miss-handled one of my signings, but it was rubbish.

“He is the most stubborn man in the world and to me, it is water off a duck’s back.”

He added: “We have an intermediary mate who said, ‘This is stupid, he’s not talking to you and you’re not that bothered about it’ – it went on for two years.

Your Local Guardian:

Falling out: Ian Baird and Paul Doswell fell out while the former was boss at Eastleigh

”Then we drew them in the FA Cup down there. I never tried to explain to Ian what I had said or had not said because my view was if he had any issue with it, he should have rung me up in the first place, his view was he did not want to talk to me, he was that annoyed.

“Our mate negotiated that the two of us should shake hands and get on with it, and since then we’ve never really stopped talking.”

Baird said: “Everyone I know said that putting me and Doswell together would not work.

“Everyone who knows Paul said it would not work, I think Paul was sceptical, I was sceptical.

“Paul had been in management 16 years or so and I’d been in management for eight years – we went into it knowing there was no number one and number two, we are a pair.”

Baird had been out of the coaching game for a couple of years when Doswell approached him about a collaboration.

But having experienced the harsh side of management, it was as the return as a coach and not a manager that made Baird turn his head towards Gander Green Lane.

Doswell said: “As a manager he was a miserable b*stard, he was very much old school in how he dealt with players.

“He did not like players really, because he always thinks they are going to get him the sack.

"He had been out of it for a year or two, and he had been commentating on the radio at Leeds United.”

Your Local Guardian:

Miserable? Ian Baird, the happy coach of Sutton United

He added: “I said to him, ‘Do you want to be a miserable manager or a happy coach?’

“We sat down at my house and had a really good conversation.

"I said 'I’ll deal with all the stuff you don’t like dealing with, you just get in there and become one of them'.”

Baird said: “We have really worked off each other. He knows I am a little bit of a Grim Reaper, he knows I am always the negative one.

“He brought me in to deal with the organisation of the back four, because where he wants to entertain, I am always the one who will take a 1-0.

“We have dovetailed in every possible way, and it is nice to prove people wrong.

“I went to a funeral in March, and the former chairman of Eastleigh said ‘I cannot believe that you two are working together’.

Baird added: “The proof is in the pudding, and we’ve won National League South after being together for a season and a half – it certainly worked.”

Your Local Guardian:

Work it did: Paul Doswell holds aloft the National League South trophy

Meanwhile, there are just 45 United season tickets available at the reduced price of £125 for adults, £95 for concessions, £20 for teens and £10 for kids.

They are valid for 23 league games and all home pre-season friendlies - but once they have gone, prices will rise.

Go to suttonunited.net/seasontickets or pick them up at tomorrow's first pre-season friendly at Gander Green Lane against a Fulham XI.